Reversed Coda
by francis2
Summary: The last scene of Sonata - with a twist.


[i]With help of the wonderful Desdemona I have taken my story and expanded it to get more emotional impact into it. Unfortunately it now has more than 1000 words, so it doesn't fit into the challenge. But here it is.

Still Moonlight isn't mine. Sigh.[/i]

This is written from Mick's POV.

As I heard the knocking at my apartment door, I knew it would be Beth. When I yanked the door open I saw her stand with her hands clasped around the strap of her purse. Her face was tense, as if she had gritted her teeth since I called an hour ago, and her heart was racing, but she didn't even blink. She had every reason to be apprehensive. I was angry, and she knew it. Without even waiting for a greeting I came to the point immediately.

„I assume that your foray into vampire justice was successful to get this threat taken care of. Did you really…?" I couldn't even say it.

„He's dead. That's all." The words tumbled out matter of factly, as if she was in a hurry to say them. „He was a liability to you and your community."

„Vampires dispense vampire justice." I said. How soon I had gotten defensive.

She raised her voice. „I know you have rules for dealing with this. Why shouldn't I as a human be able to handle this, too?"

„So he was just executed?" I turned around and walked back into the dark room, leaving her standing, suddenly overwhelmed with a plethora of emotions, horror, regret, guilt, appalled by what I made them do. I didn't want this to happen. How could I look into her eyes after this?

She slowly followed me in, leaving the door open, almost as if to leave a means of escape. „I know, this isn't easy for you to understand."

I pivoted and faced her, unshed tears stinging my eyes.

„Look. I've been saying for months now that things can't work between us. That we live in different worlds. And you didn't want to hear me, but now you know that I am right."

She looked away briefly, cocking her head just a bit, then stared at me again.

When I had her eyes again, I told her slowly, trying to make every word count: „I can't come back into your world, and I'm not ready to allow you to join mine. You are way too far in already."

And then the impact of it all suddenly hit me. I knew it was too late. I had ruined her. Ruined her completely by drawing her into my world. She was already more of a vampire than I was. A ruthless killer. A monster. I wouldn't let this go any further.

She had to think for a moment, and I could see her mind working. She was biting her lip, her nose scrunched up. Then she suddenly straightened.

„Wait. You think that is what this is about? You think that I am gonna want to be turned?"

„Wouldn't you? Eventually? What happens when you start to get old? Maybe then I would want it, too. I don't ever want to make that decision."

Her face twitched, and her eyes were dark with tears. She had of course never thought about what her decision to tell Josef instead of me would entail. How she had breached my trust. How this murder drove a wedge into our relationship … into my friendship with Josef. And that turning her was a thought that was just too painful to entertain.

I suddenly realized that I was crying. I let the tears go, without shame, because I knew it would be the last time she would see me crying. This would have to end.

I looked into her eyes. „I don't … think I can do this anymore."

Weeks ago I had admitted to myself and proudly announced to Josef that I was in love with her. Nothing had changed, but it had to stop.

We stared into each other´s eyes. I wished she would say something, tell me that I was wrong, that it would work out, that we could overcome this. But her face became wooden, devoid of any emotion, and she swiftly turned away.

She stalked out of my loft with the confident gait that she used for her interviews. But I could see behind her ruse. She was upset, and in pain. I could see it in the way she hung her shoulders and clutched her jacket.

I hated to do this to the love of my life.

As she left I listened, the elevator pinged, she stepped inside, and when I thought her gone I slowly closed the door, laid my head onto one of the red and black columns and tried not to think, not to feel anything, but I couldn't stop it. My soul was part numb, part overflowing.

I asked myself why I had let this happen. When was the time I should have stopped to take her in? Would she be able to live with the guilt of what she did? Would I be able to stay away from her? Or would this be a second Coraline disaster in my life? Why did I always choose a woman like that?

I heard the elevator ping again, an angry knocking at my door, and I looked up. I hesitated. Another knock. Then the door opened.

„You wanna know what Dean Foster made me realize? That you were right. You were right all along. You would pull me into your world, and there was no way to go back." Her voice was almost aggressive, not loud, but with an agitated pitch to it.

I didn't turn around. I couldn't. She came back, and I didn't know yet if I should be anxious or elated. Would I give in, would we be able to start over?

She continued. „The night we first met, met again, whatever, when I did my first live broadcast, tell me you didn't see my stubborn streak. You saw that I would do anything to get answers. You put me on your pedestal of what you thought I would need to be. But I don't want to be that way. I want to be a part of your world. And dealing with the threat of Dean Foster made me realize that I could. There is guilt, of course there is. Don't think this was easy! But it had to be done, and I did it."

I turned around. Tears were streaming down her face, smudging her make up, and she was more beautiful than I had ever seen her.

I caved in. I tried to smile, but I was drained, and it was difficult to find the face to go with my emotions. There was the chance that she would misinterpret me, and I didn't want that.

I took a breath and told her: „You're right. This isn't about being a vampire or a human. This is about us. About how we feel about one another, right here, right now. And I need you to stay with me."

„Why? You won't get the innocent Beth you wanted. Why take the risk?"

I took a sharp breath. „Because I love you."

This was hard, but I said it. I told her the first time, and I meant it. She was right. We all were monsters, in one way or the other, vampire and human alike. And we had to live with our choices. I had to stop going back and forth with her all the time.

After the decision was made, I felt relieved, the tension draining out of my jaw, my shoulders.

She stepped up and kissed me, passionately but reserved, not sure yet if this would work, if I wanted her back. Pulling her slender frame into me, I knew that she was my world, and I wanted her forever. I kissed her back, pouring my love for her into our embrace.

The door closed. We were inside, together.


End file.
